Method of planning organizational activities

Abstract

A method for translating complex process flow networks into plans or schedules for the manufacturing of products or the performance of other organizational activities is disclosed. The method maintains a time-valued list of existing commitments to resources. Allocations of these resources are made to lots during a simulation procedure which calculates a resulting plan's timing data. The method simulates higher priority lots before it simulates lower priority lots. A simulation evaluates the process flow description to obtain the relative order of consuming and releasing resources, resource attributes and related capabilities, initial minimum timing requests, and process control rules. The simulation uses the list to determine when resources may be used without impacting prior commitments of the resources. In addition, the simulation forces the allocations to conform to the process control rules. The resulting timing data is merged into the processing plan, and resource commitments are then made to the simulated resource. When lower priority lots are simulated, commitments have already been made to higher priority lots. Thus, the lower priority lots cannot receive resource allocations which impact the higher priority lots. However, the lower priority lots may receive allocations which occur prior to contending allocations to higher priority lots.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for allocating a multiplicity of organizational resources to a plurality of organizational lots to accomplish organizational goals, said method comprising the steps of: forming a list which identifies time-valued commitments to future uses of said resources by a first portion of said lots;   identifying one of said lots not included within said first portion of said lots, said one lot having a demand for said resources which is defined by instructions presented in a process flow description associated with said one lot;   obtaining said process flow description;   simulating allocation of said resources to said lot in accordance with said demand and said process flow description instructions, said simulated allocations refraining from interfering with said commitments identified in said list; and   modifying said list to reflect commitments to said one lot.   
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising the step of repeating said identifying, obtaining, simulating, and modifying steps for additional ones of said lots, said additional ones not being included within said first portion of lots. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising, after said obtaining step, the step of executing instructions included within said process flow description with respect to said demand and without regard to said list, said executing step operating to reduce processing requirements of said simulating step. 
     
     
       4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said process flow description includes data describing a resource consumed in a process and data describing an estimated duration for an activity performed during said process, said simulating step, and said modifying step comprise the steps of: obtaining, from said list, data describing at time slot during which said consumed resource is available for use;   obtaining, from said process flow description, said duration data;   calculating an exit time from said process as being no earlier than said the beginning of said time slot plus said duration; and   modifying said list to reflect commitments to said one lot, said commitments comprising said consumed resource, said time slot and said exit time.   
     
     
       5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said process flow description includes data describing a second resource consumed in a second process said second process occurring immediately subsequent to said process, and data describing an estimated duration for a second activity performed by said second process, and wherein said steps of simulating and modifying further comprise the steps of: obtaining, from said list, data describing a second time slot during which said consumed second resource is available for use, said second time slot occurring after said exit time;   obtaining, from said process flow description, said duration data for said second process;   calculating a second exit time from said second process as being not earlier than the beginning of said second time slot plus said second process duration; and   modifying said list to reflect commitments to said one lot, said commitments comprising said consumed second resource, said time slot and said second exit time.   
     
     
       6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein: said process entity is positioned within said process flow description between first and second branch nodes, said first and second branch nodes specifying first and second ones, respectively, of said instructions; and   said simulating step further comprises the step of identifying, prior to said obtaining and calculating steps, said first and second branch nodes.   
     
     
       7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein a second process entity is positioned within said process flow description between said first branch node and a third branch node, said second process entity having data describing a second resource consumed in a second process characterized by said second process entity, and said second process entity having data describing an estimated duration for a second activity performed by said second process, and said simulating step additionally comprises the steps of: identifying said third branch node;   obtaining, from said list, data describing a second time slot during which said consumed second resource is available for use;   obtaining, from said process flow description, said duration data for said second process; and   calculating an exit time from said second process as being no earlier than the beginning of said second time slot plus said second process duration.   
     
     
       8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first branch node includes data describing an instruction for determining lot quantities upon which said process and said second process operate, and said simulating step additionally comprises the steps of: calculating, prior to said obtaining data describing a time slot step, a first lot quantity for use in connection with said process; and   calculating, prior to said obtaining data describing a second time slot step, a second lot quantity for use in connection with said second process.   
     
     
       9. A method for translating a process flow network, which provides instructions for allocating organizational resources to organizational activities, into accomplished organizational goals, said method comprising the steps of: associating a branch selection rule with a first decision node of said process flow network;   initiating a processing plan;   identifying first and second branch paths of said process flow network, each of said first and second branch paths being coupled to and positioned subsequent to said first node within said process flow network, and each of said first and second branch paths specifying changes in resource allocations;   simulating resource allocation changes in accordance said first and second branch paths to produce first and second subordinate processing plans, respectively;   applying said branch selection rule to said first and second subordinate processing plans to select one of said first and second subordinate processing plans for use in accomplishing said organizational goals;   modifying said processing plan to include said selected subordinate processing plan therein; and   realizing said organizational activities generally in accordance with said processing plan.   
     
     
       10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein: said associating step additionally associates a second branch selection rule with said first decision node, said second branch selection rule having a third branch path associated therewith; and   said initiating step comprises the step of evaluating said second branch selection rule to remove said third branch path from said process flow network so that processing requirements of said identifying and simulating steps are reduced.   
     
     
       11. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said identifying step comprises the steps of: identifying a second decision node, said second decision node serving to terminate said first branch path; and   identifying a third decision node, said third decision node serving to terminate said second branch path.   
     
     
       12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said applying step produces a selected one of said second and third decision nodes, said selected decision node having a branch selection rule associated therewith, and said method additionally comprises the steps of: identifying third and fourth branch paths of said process flow network, each of said third and fourth branch paths being coupled to and positioned subsequent to said selected decision node within said process flow network, and each of said third and fourth branch paths specifying changes in resource allocations;   simulating resource allocation changes in accordance said third and fourth branch paths to produce third and fourth subordinate processing plans, respectively; and   applying said branch selection rule of said selected decision node to said third and fourth subordinate processing plans to select one of said third and fourth subordinate processing plans for use in accomplishing said organizational goals.   
     
     
       13. A method as claimed in claim 9 additionally comprising, prior to said simulating step, the step of forming a list which identifies time-valued commitments to future uses of said resources, and wherein said simulating step comprises the step of obtaining, from said list, data describing time slots during which said resources are available for use. 
     
     
       14. A method for allocating a commonly used organizational resource to two competing organizational lots to accomplish organizational goals, said method comprising the steps of: forming a list which identifies time-valued commitments to future uses of said resource;   identifying a first one of said lots and a first process flow description which provides a first set of instructions for utilizing said resource in connection with said first lot;   modifying said list to indicate a commitment to future usage of said resource by said first lot;   identifying a second one of said lots and a second process flow description, said second lot having a lower priority associated therewith than said first lot, and said second process flow description providing instructions for utilizing said resource in connection with said second lot;   modifying said list to indicate a commitment to future usage of said resource by said second lot, said second lot commitment being compatible with existing commitments identified by said list; and   realizing said first and second lots generally in accordance with said commitments recorded in said list.   
     
     
       15. A method as claimed in claim 14 wherein: said first process flow description includes first, second, and third decision nodes, a first branch path coupled between said first and second nodes, and a second branch path coupled between said first and third nodes;   said first set of instructions is associated with said first node; and   said method additionally comprises the steps of:   simulating allocation of said resource in accordance said first and second branch paths to produce first and second subordinate processing plans, respectively; and   applying said first set of instructions to said first and second subordinate processing plans to select one of said first and second subordinate processing plans for use in accomplishing said organizational goals.   
     
     
       16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein: a branch selection rule is associated with said first decision node, said branch selection rule having a third branch path associated therewith; and   said method additionally comprises the step of evaluating said branch selection rule prior to said simulating step to remove said third branch path from said process flow network so that processing requirements of said simulating step are reduced.   
     
     
       17. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein said applying step produces a selected one of said second and third decision nodes, said selected decision node having a third set of instructions associated therewith, and said first process flow description additionally includes third and fourth branch paths of said process flow network, each of said third and fourth branch paths being coupled to and positioned subsequent to said selected decision node within said first process flow network, and said method additionally comprises the steps of: simulating allocation of said resource in accordance said third and fourth branch paths to produce third and fourth subordinate processing plans, respectively; and   applying said third set of instructions to said third and fourth subordinate processing plans to select one of said third and fourth subordinate processing plans for use in accomplishing said organizational goals.   
     
     
       18. An apparatus produced using the method of claim 1.